UPDATED: Best Actress Predictions

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-13-11):
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Charlize Theron, Young Adult

Best Actress Notes: Some noteworthy movement in the Actress race lately. For one thing, it looks like this thing will be absolutely packed with great performances. Many stand-outs will be left off the list and the question’s already becoming who will be the odd woman out.

Michelle Williams is getting raves for her performance in My Week With Marilyn, many viewers even calling her the legs by which the entire picture stands. It looks like Williams will be very difficult to pass up for a 3rd Oscar nomination. We know the Academy thinks fondly of her work so why wouldn’t they honor her for her first real vehicle? Especially if she knocks it out of the park. Don’t be shocked if Michelle Williams wins an Academy Award next February.

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Best Documentary Feature Predictions

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-13-11):
The Interrupters
Tabloid
Project Nim
George Harrison: Living in the Material World
Page One: Inside the New York Times

Best Documentary Notes: The only thing keeping up with the new-found creativity behind television is non-fiction. Everybody with a camera seems to be making inspiring documentaries, it’s hard to keep up. Sadly, many great films are falling through the cracks but this is a better problem then there not being enough great films to begin with. The documentary field gets more and more difficult to predict every year as critically acclaimed documentaries are being released seemingly every week. Without the shortlist for this category, it’s really a crap shoot to guess which way the academy will swing. The documentary branch is, by its nature, a very progressive group of voters that consistently defy trends (as seen by the shocking inclusion of Gasland last year). As such a young category (at least in the present state of documentary) it’s hard to say which way voters will go.

The Interrupters has a very strong chance of getting in. It might even be the frontrunner right now. The Academy still has a black eye from leaving out Hoop Dreams 17 years ago. Steve James’ new project is not quite as groundbreaking but it’s just as moving and has garnered tremendously good reviews. I have a sneaking suspicion this one will be the ultimate winner.

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Albert Nobbs Trailer

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

This new trailer serves to prove two important things about Albert Nobbs. First, Glenn Close WILL most definitely be nominated for her 6th Academy Award and remain a possible winner for many more months. But we already knew that. More impressively, this trailer unleashes Albert Nobbs with a sense of whimsy and guts that defies previously released photos and descriptions of the film. I suppose this trailer did for me exactly what a trailer should do, it made me really excited to see what the movie has to offer. Add another to my “most anticipated” list.

Enjoy.

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A Boatful of The Adventures of Tintin Clips

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Yesterday several clips from The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn were released along with a few “making-of” bits. These are carefully chosen press pieces so they, of course, wet the appetite without giving away too much of what’s to come. The little I see certainly keeps me excited about what this film might have to offer.

I’m curious what Spielberg’s first animated venture will actually be. I see it going one of two ways: either an exciting adventure film that parallels the best of Pixar or a forgettable money-maker with delights we’ve seen before and nothing special in the way of visual innovation. I really have no idea what this will end up being.

Many more clips after the jump.

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Best Sound Predictions

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

SOUND EDITING

Current Predictions (10-12-11):
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn
Super 8
Real Steel
War Horse
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Sound Editing Notes: The difference between the sound categories is a tenuous and difficult to define line. Basically Sound Editing relates to the aural construction of the sonic pieces where as Sound Mixing refers to the literal sonic quality of those pieces. Obviously, they relate closely, if inextricably. This year offers a dynamic range (no pun) of sound films that span across multiple genres.

My wishful thinking side would love to see the creative work in Warrior and The Tree of Life honored. Both films are sound rich with some scenes literally being dictated  by their aural experience. Neither film prefers loud, bassy sounds over smaller, textured ones so I doubt either will stand out. Don’t be surprised if one of these does get in though. If they do, it will likely be in Editing over Mixing.

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Martin Scorsese’s 3D Hugo Bows at New York Film Festival

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

One of the great unknowns of 2011, Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, played unfinished to a surprised crowd at the New York Film Festival last night. Reactions from the screening range from about what was expected to tepid at best. It seems below-the-line achievements such as sound, VFX, and cinematography will be well-lauded. The story is being called “a bit stale” by some and “tense, exciting” by others.

I’ll speculate on Hugo’s Oscar chances objectively but my love for Scorsese tends to be unfazed by the reviews of others. Just like people have that one musician or author who transcends popular opinion for them, Scorsese’s work affects me in a very specific way. The early reviews for Hugo seem a bit cold, written by the same people who entirely didn’t get Shutter Island. Scorsese is perhaps America’s greatest crossover artist between mainstream and personal cinema. Hugo gives a master filmmaker the opportunity to tell a story to the whole family about the history of cinema while using contemporary film technology. That alone is worth the price of admission.

In addition to the preview screening, Paramount also released a quick featurette about the film.

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Best Visual Effects Predictions

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-10-11):
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt 2
The Tree of Life
Hugo
Thor

Best Visual Effects Notes (10-10-11): The key to picking the Visual Effects category is not going with the film that has the best explosions but the one that needs to be honored for a special merit in visual innovation. A quick look at recent winners presents the meticulous head replacement of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and the innovative use of Stereo technology in Avatar. It’s easy to guess the biggest and loudest film in this category but that’s a trap. Really this is the closest to a consistent “Special Achievement” Oscar that the show has.

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Best Makeup Predictions

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-10-11):
J. Edgar
X-Men: First Class
The Iron Lady

Best Makeup Notes (10-10-11): Makeup should be a far more exciting award category than it really is. The Academy has a taste for awarding age or other transformational makeup over creative, laborious work that is both time-consuming and grandiose. This is the one category where I wish the Academy went with the most “obvious” choice because, frankly, outlandish makeup is an art form all in itself. Always one to do exactly what people don’t care as much about, the Academy tends toward subtlety here lately. This isn’t to say the work in The Hours was any less stellar than that in Wolfman, but one took more guts and creative planning while the other survived on strong research.

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Best Animated Film Predictions

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

Current Predictions (10-10-11):
Cars 2
Rango
Winnie the Pooh
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

Best Animated Film Notes (10-10-11): 2011 is shaping up to be a very weak year for animated pictures. We are lacking a dynamic Pixar release, a fantastical Japanese film or a surprise a la Triplets of Belleville. What we have are shabby sequels, a few well-made hand-drawns and one clever adult picture about a lizard. It’s a weak year indeed. The prospects for this being one of the worst animated years since the creation of this category are quite high and are made even higher by The Adventures of Tintin potentially being disqualified for its use of stop motion technology.

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Coriolanus Trailer

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Zac Petrillo

New trailer for Coriolanus surfaced recently. I haven’t heard too much about this and I’m still not sure what to make of it. Could easily sink into obscurity, making hardly a dent over here in America. The trailer makes it look like it has real potential to be a critically acclaimed masterpiece. I’m suddenly very excited for this one.

Vanessa Redgrave looks dynamite. Could this be another Oscar?

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